The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
September 18, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady During White House Convening on Food Marketing to Children

State Dining Room

1:13 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks for being here.  You guys, as I always say, rest yourselves.  You got a lot of work to do.  (Laughter.)

Well, welcome to the White House.  It is truly a pleasure to be here with all of you today for the first ever White House Convening on Food Marketing to Children.

But before we get started, I just wanted to take a moment to express my sincere heartbreak over Monday’s tragedy at the Navy Yard here in Washington.  The men and women who lost their lives devoted their careers to protecting our country.  And as we mourn those that we lost and we pray for those who were injured, we also honor their service, and we hold all of their loved ones in our hearts at this very difficult time.

So with that, we’re going to put you to work.  Thank you again for being here.  I want to start by thanking Sam for that very kind introduction, but more importantly for all the work that he and his team have done to make Let's Move a reality.

And I want to thank all of you for joining us today.

All of you in this room, you come to this issue from all different angles.  You’re experts, advocates, parents.  You represent food and beverage companies, media and entertainment companies, and so much more.  And we’re eager to have a lively and constructive dialogue with you about how we market food to our children. 

We’re eager to hear more from everyone in this room about what’s working, where we’re falling short, and how we can keep moving forward together on this complex and challenging but very important issue.

And I think it’s important to note that we’re having this conversation in the midst of what I believe is a cultural shift that is happening in this country -- a transformation in how we live and eat that many of us could never have imagined even just a few years ago.  I see it everywhere I go all across this country.  I see it in chain restaurants that are serving kale salads, and they're filling kids’ menus with not just nuggets and fries, but with broccoli and whole-wheat pasta.  I see it in churches where instead of fried chicken and mac and cheese for church supper, they’re serving up grilled fish and brown rice.

I see it online where parenting, cooking, and health blogs are crammed with healthy recipes and tips about providing better nutrition for our kids.  And I see it in schools where students can’t wait to tell me about their new salad bar or how they ate a radish or tried cauliflower for the first time, and actually like it.

In fact, we recently sponsored a recipe contest for kids here at the White House, and we got over 1,300 entries from 50 states across the country, and I can’t tell you how many of those recipes featured quinoa.  (Laughter.)  Go figure.

And if all of this doesn’t provide sufficient evidence of an important shift, then just take a look at the market research.  The National Restaurant Association surveyed chefs about trends in their industry, and three of the top 10 trends were specifically about healthy kids’ meals.  A survey by the Food Marketing Institute found that 90 percent of grocery stores are offering healthy recipes to their customers, and 98 percent of them maintain health and wellness websites.

And today, for the first time in decades, we’re actually starting to move the needle on this issue.  Between 2008 and 2011, obesity rates among low-income preschoolers dropped in 19 states and territories across the country.  And childhood obesity rates are falling in cities like New York and Philadelphia, and in states like California and Mississippi.

But while we have made important progress, when one in three kids is still on track to develop diabetes, and when diet has now surpassed smoking as the number one risk factor for disease and death in this country, then we clearly have much more work to do.  And, yes, we have made meaningful changes in a number of areas by getting healthier food into our schools and communities, but at the end of the day, if we truly want to solve this problem, we also need to get our kids to actually want to eat these healthier options.  And I say this not just as a First Lady who’s been working on this issue for the past three and a half years; I say this as a mom who has been working hard to raise two girls. 

As you know, I haven’t always lived in the White House.  (Laughter.)  Not so long ago, I was a busy working mom desperate to find quick, affordable meals and snacks for my family.  I needed cereal that my girls could pour themselves.  I needed lunches I could pack in a hurry.  I needed juice boxes that my three-year-old could hold in her hand in the backseat of my car.  I needed dinners that came pre-cooked and ready to pop in the microwave.  And most importantly, I needed my kids to actually eat all of this food I was buying for them. 

And all of you in the food and beverage industry delivered for me.  You manufactured and sold the convenience foods I needed, and you did a brilliant job making those foods something my kids would want.  So when I opened those boxes and bags, my girls were happy, and I was happy -- problem solved.

But then, like a lot of moms, I started learning more about nutrition and health.  I started reading labels.  I started getting warnings from my pediatrician about the health of my

Kids.  And I began to realize that some of these foods that were so quick and cheap and tasty weren’t always healthy for my kids.

So once again, moms like me turned to your industry for help. But this time, we didn’t just want the foods to be convenient and affordable -- we wanted them to be good for our kids as well.  And once again, many of you have started to deliver by manufacturing some of the healthier options.  And that is an important first step.

But once again, moms like me are relying on all of you to actually help our kids get excited about eating that food.  And that’s why I wanted to bring all of you together today -- because you guys know better than anyone how to get kids excited.  You’ve done it before, and we need you to do it again.  And fortunately you have everything it takes to get this done because through the magic of marketing and advertising, all of you, more than anyone else, have the power to shape our kids’ tastes and desires. 

You all know that our kids are like little sponges –- they absorb whatever is around them.  But they don’t yet have the ability to question and analyze what they’re told.  Instead, they believe just about everything they see and hear, especially if it’s on TV.   And when the average child is now spending nearly eight hours a day in front of some kind of screen, many of their opinions and preferences are being shaped by the marketing campaigns you all create.  And that’s where the problem comes in.

You see, the average child watches thousands of food advertisements each year, and 86 percent of these ads are for products loaded with sugar, fat, salt.  By contrast, our kids see an average of just one ad a week for healthy products like water to fruits and vegetables.  Just one ad a week.

And as you all know, these ads work.  Kids who see foods advertised on TV are significantly more likely to ask for them at the store –- a phenomenon known as “pester power.” (Laughter.)  New to me.  Sounds right though.  And research shows that a child’s first request for a product happens as early as 24 months, and 75 percent of the time, this request takes place in a grocery store. 

And given what our kids are seeing on TV, it should come as no surprise what they’re asking for.  One study revealed that 45 percent of kids’ food requests were things like cookies and candy, burgers and fries, and chips, but just 3 percent were for fruits and vegetables.  So from the time our kids are still in diapers, we as parents are already fighting an uphill battle to

get them interested in the foods that will actually nourish them and help them grow. 

Now, like many parents, Barack and I do our best to limit our daughters’ TV time.  But as you all know, these ads aren’t just on TV.  They’re on the internet, in video games, smart phones, billboards.  They’re in schools and store displays.  They’re everywhere, and parents just can’t keep up, no matter how hard we try.  So whatever we all might believe about personal responsibility and self-determination, I think we

can agree that it doesn’t necessarily apply to children. 

I think that we can all agree that parents deserve more control over the products and messages their kids are exposed to.  And that’s why I was so pleased that 17 major American companies came together on their own as part of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative to adopt new standards for marketing to kids. 

And I know this wasn’t easy.  Forging consensus among fierce competitors is a challenge to say the least.  But these new standards are beginning to have an impact, and I commend all of these companies for taking action. 

But of course, while limiting the marketing of unhealthy food is critical, it’s not enough.  We also need companies to actually market healthy foods to kids -– foods that have real

nutritional value, foods that are fortified with real fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.  Now, I say this mindful that companies exist to make a profit, and they need that in order to survive.  And those profits keep our economy going every day. 

But the fact is that marketing nutritious foods to our kids isn’t just good for our kids’ health -- it can also be good for companies’ bottom lines.  For example, the folks at Birds Eye Vegetables launched a major marketing campaign featuring characters from the popular kids’ show “iCarly.”  And their sales jumped 20 percent in just two months.  Vidalia Onion did a campaign with “Shrek” -- one of my favorites -- and their sales went up 50 percent.  So I’m confident that you all can sell healthy foods to our kids and remain competitive and profitable.

That’s why some of your companies’ marketers are playing a key role in a new campaign to inspire people in this country to drink more water.  You see, we know that water is such an important component to good health, but so many other beverages have millions of marketing dollars behind them that water often gets drowned out.  That’s why last week, we launched the new Drink Up campaign -- a campaign to bring attention to water as a healthy choice so that when people are thirsty, they reach for a glass of water.  So I say this because when it comes to believing in the power of marketing to promote healthy choices to our kids, I’m not just talking the talk, I’m actually walking the walk on this one.

But so far, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about food and beverage companies.  But those of you from media companies also play a critical role in marketing food to our children, and I want to call on all of you to do your part as well.  That means, for example, limiting the use of your licensed characters to market unhealthy food to kids, and limiting unhealthy food ads in your programming.

Disney has pledged to do just that, and I know that other media companies can follow suit.  But I’m also asking you to actually use your licensed characters to promote healthy food.  “Sesame Street” has been doing this for years, which is why, when parents turn on “Sesame Street” or the Disney Channel, they know and trust that their kids won’t be bombarded with messages promoting unhealthy food.

And that trust is valuable.  That trust is good for your businesses.  That’s why so many of you in the private sector are leading the way on this issue.  You are innovating.  You’re taking risks.  You’re serving as models for your industries, and it’s starting to make a difference -- not just for our kids, but for your shareholders as well.

And I’m here today with one simple request -- and that is to do even more and move even faster to market responsibly to our kids.  Now, I want to be clear about what I’m asking here.   I am not asking anyone to take the fun out of childhood.  As we all know, treats are one of the best parts of being a kid. Instead, the goal here is to empower parents instead of undermining them as they try to make healthier choices for their families.  And we need you to lead the way in creating demand for healthy foods so that kids actually start “pestering” us for those foods in the grocery store.  And then parents actually start buying them, and then companies have incentives to make and sell even more of those foods.

And ideally, in a decade or so, we would see a dramatic shift across the entire industry.  We’d see companies shifting marketing dollars away from those less healthy products and investing those dollars in your healthier products instead. That’s how we can make healthy eating a way of life for our kids and for our families.  And make no mistake about it, meeting these goals isn’t just the right decision for the short or medium term; it can affect your businesses for decades to come.

See, the decisions that you make about marketing won’t just affect what our kids are eating today -- those decisions are going to also affect the health of your workforce tomorrow. Businesses are losing $37 [$73] billion a year due to absenteeism, lost productivity, and health care costs associated with obesity-related conditions.  And just imagine what that number will look like in twenty years from now if we stand by and let today’s unhealthy kids grow into unhealthy adults who become the employees of tomorrow. 

And there’s another long-term factor that’s also worth considering, and that is the potential trend in our kids’ food preferences and taste.  You see, over the past few years, we’ve seen some real changes in the foods our kids are eating,

starting from the time they’re born.  For example, changes in the Women, Infants and Children Program are helping millions of women across America buy healthier products for their kids.  And 10,000 childcare centers across the country have committed to serving more nutritious food as part of Let’s Move Childcare.

In addition, we have implemented sweeping changes in America’s school lunch program, such that nearly 32 million children across the country are now eating more fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy foods every day.  And starting next year, school vending machines will be stocked with healthy items as well. 

So healthier eating is starting to become the new norm for our kids.  This is what they’re getting used to, and for many, this is all they’ll ever know.  And as their palates and their habits adjust, that could have a serious effect on their taste and preferences not just as children, but for the rest of their lives.  It could even affect what they ultimately buy and serve their own children in the future.  So this isn’t just some passing trend or fad. 

So there might be those out there whose strategy is to just wait this out -- folks who might still be thinking to themselves, well, in a few years, this lady will be gone -- (laughter) -- and this whole Let’s Move thing will finally be over, so we can go back to business as usual.  And I know that none of you here are thinking that way.  (Laughter.)  But if you know anyone who is -- (laughter) -- you might want to remind them that I didn’t create this issue, and it’s not going to go away three and a half years from now when I’m no longer First Lady. 

This issue has truly taken on a life of its own because it is affecting just about every family and every community in this country.  Parents are increasingly anxious as they see their kids developing diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure -- conditions that would have been unthinkable to find in children just a generation ago.  There are now 79 million pre-diabetics in this county, many of them young adults, and we’re

even seeing people in their twenties and thirties having heart attacks and strokes. 

So I have yet to meet a single parent who doesn’t understand the threat of obesity to their health and to their children’s health.  And they are looking for solutions.  They’re starting to think about how they feed themselves and their families.  And you all can take advantage of this.  You can get ahead of the curve.  You have everything it takes right now to seize this societal challenge as an unprecedented business opportunity.  Right now, your companies employ some of the most brilliant, creative, innovative minds in the entire country.  And you all can sell just about anything to our kids.  And if anyone can get our kids to eat their vegetables, it’s all of you. 

And I know it won’t be easy.  I know you might have to take some short-term risks to get a long-term payoff.  But that’s what great American companies do -- they act boldly, they innovate, they take risks.  And remember, it wasn’t that long ago that “going green” or taking your business online were considered risky endeavors.  But throughout our history, the companies that saw where the future was headed and took that leap have been rewarded. 

And I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to celebrate and highlight this kind of leadership on behalf of our kids.  That’s what I’ve been doing since I first started working on this issue, whether it was visiting a

Walmart stocked with fresh produce, or having dinner at an Olive Garden with a healthier kids menu, or hanging out with Mickey to celebrate Disney’s achievements on this issue.  And I am eager to have these kinds of celebrations with every company in this room.

So I hope that all of you will really engage.  I hope that you’ll really talk to each other, and learn from each other, and come up with new solutions that will make a real difference for our kids.  We want to hear from everyone involved in this issue -- from industry leaders to advocates to researchers and to parents -- because we’re all in this together.

And while I know I’ve been talking a lot about corporate America’s responsibilities on this issue, the advocates and experts here today have an important responsibility too.  Your words matter.  You all can help either provide incentives to change, or you can be barriers to change.  So we need you to be constructive in your criticisms and strategic in your calls to action, because when it comes to marketing, it can be hard for companies to take risks.  They face pressures from Wall Street.  There are also limits to how fast they can move and how far they can go before they start losing customers. 

So when companies do step up and take risks, we need to be supportive, even if we think they haven’t gone far enough.  We need to help them make those risks pay off, so that they’ll go even farther, and so that other companies will follow their lead. 

And as for those of you in the private sector, I hope that you will head back to your companies ready to think big and act boldly on behalf of our kids because while running a profitable business is important, I know that you all aren’t just business executives.  You all are also good neighbors, and good citizens, and proud parents and grandparents.  Many of you didn’t go into business just to make money, but to problem solve and make people’s lives better.  You went into business to create great American products and build great American institutions, and to leave a legacy that your kids and grandkids will inherit with pride. 

And in the end, that’s what Let’s Move is all about.  It’s about the legacy we’re leaving for the next generation and generations to come.  And standing here today with all of you, people who represent some of the most visionary, pioneering companies and organizations in this country, I have never felt more confident about our children’s future and, of course, the future of this country. 

So I look forward to hearing about what you all come up with today, and I look forward to celebrating new commitments and achievements in the months and years ahead.

Thank you all.  God bless you.  Good luck and work hard.  (Applause.)

END
1:36 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 18, 2013

Remarks by the President at the Business Roundtable

Business Roundtable Headquarters
Washington, D.C. 

10:46 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Well, Jim, thank you for the introduction.  Thanks to Dave and Andrew and John -- all the men and women of the Business Roundtable.  I’ve had a chance to not only present before this body before, but many of you have been doing wonderful work with the administration on a whole range of issues.  And the point that Jim just made about the commitment that some of the companies here made in hiring and promoting our returning veterans is extraordinary.  And so we’re very, very grateful for that.

Last time I was here in December I told Jim -- once the mics were working -- (laughter) -- that I’m hugely invested in your success, because this room represents not only an enormous amount of economic output, but also represents the hopes and dreams of people who are working very hard trying to make a living -- small businesses who are supplying large companies like yours.  When you succeed, when you’re doing well, when you’re competitive at a global scale, then America can do well also.  And so we want to be a consistent partner with you on a whole range of issues, and we have. 

If you think about where we were five years ago -- obviously we’re marking the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman that triggered the worst financial crisis and then, ultimately, worst economic crisis that we’ve seen in our lifetimes -- I think it’s fair to say that we’ve come a long way. 

At that point, the auto industry was flat-lining.  You had the entire financial sector locked up.  A number of banks were in deep trouble.  And most acutely for ordinary families all across this country, they were losing jobs, losing homes, losing their life savings.  And there was a genuine fear across the board that we might not be able to pull out way out of it. 

And we have.  Thanks to the grit and resilience of the American people, thanks to some outstanding work that’s been done by many of your companies, we are in a much stronger position now than when we were then.  And we’ve created now 7.5 million new jobs in the private sector.  Many of your companies have added to your payrolls.  And that’s made a huge difference.

We’ve seen quarters of consecutive growth that are still too slow, not as fast as we’d like, but relative to other developed countries around the world, we’ve actually fared a lot better.  The housing market has begun to recover.  Exports are at record highs.  We are producing more energy than we ever have before.  And although in a world energy market, for us to say that we’re entirely energy independent is a little bit of a misnomer.  What’s absolutely true is, is that the geopolitics of energy have shifted, and that’s strengthened our manufacturing base here and made it a much more attractive place for us to invest.

The deficits have been coming down at the fastest rate since World War II.  The deficit has been cut in half since I came into office.  Health care costs, which were and continue to be a major source of concern, are increasing at the slowest rate in 50 years.  And for many of you in terms of your bottom lines, employer-based health care plans have gone up at about a third of what they were going up when I first took office. 

And so there’s a lot of bright spots in the economy, a lot of progress has been made and a lot of good news to report.  But I think what we all recognize is we’re not where we need to be yet.  We’ve still got a lot of work to do.  And we know what it is that we need to do.  We know that if we implement immigration reform, that that can add potentially a trillion dollars to our economy and that we will continue to attract the best and brightest talent around the world. 

We know that we can do even more when it comes to exports, which is why I’m out there negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership and now a Transatlantic Trade Partnership that will allow us to create a high standard, enforceable, meaningful trade agreement with essentially two-thirds of the world markets, which is going to be incredibly powerful for American companies who, up until this point, have often been locked out of those markets.

We know that we’ve still got to make a lot of progress when it comes to our education system.  And I want to thank the BRT because you’ve worked with us on issues like creating a common cause -- a common core that ensures that every young person in America has the opportunity to get prepared for the kinds of jobs that are going to exist in the 21st century.  And I’m going to be talking to all of you a lot to work with us in making college much more affordable, because just as we’ve had to take a hard look at what we can do to start bringing down health care costs, we’ve also got to start taking a hard look at what we’re going to do to bring down college costs.  We now have over a trillion dollars’ worth of student loan debt that is hampering the economy, preventing young people from buying homes, starting families, and spending money buying your products.

The good news is that every one of the challenges that we confront, every one of the barriers -- whether it’s education, immigration, infrastructure -- that prevent us from being as competitive as we could be, they’re all solvable.  We have good ideas.  There’s actually pretty good consensus in terms of how we might move forward.  The problem is right now that this town, Washington, is locked up.  And we are not seeing the kind of progress that we should on these issues.

So immigration is the most obvious example.  We have bipartisan agreement; we got a bill passed out of the Senate.  It’s sitting there in the House, and if Speaker Boehner called that bill today, it would pass.  We’ve got a majority of the House of Representatives that’s prepared to vote for it, and we could transform our immigration system in a way that would be really good for your companies and really good for our economy. 

The reason it’s not happening is because there’s a small faction that insists that our tradition as a nation of laws but also a nation of immigrants somehow is un-American and they oppose it.  And that duplicates itself on a whole range of these issues.  And now, in the next several weeks, it’s going to manifest itself in what is going to be probably the most critical debate about our economy over the next several months, and that is what we do about our budget.  So let me just speak very briefly to that issue. 

As I said before, our deficits are coming down very fast.  In fact, the IMF and other international organizations that had cautioned us previously about our deficits are actually now concerned that we're bringing our deficits down too fast.  That's the assessment of the economists.  On the current trajectory that we're on and if we were to pass the budget that I put forward, our deficits would continue to go down.  And we would have a deficit-to-GDP ratio below 3 percent, which is typically the standard at which it's sustainable. 

Now, in order for us to do that we've got to do a couple of things.  Number one, we've got to continue to be tightfisted when it comes to spending on things we don't need.  We've got to continue to streamline government.  We've got to continue to cut out waste.  And there's waste to be had, and there are programs that don't work or used to work and are now obsolete and we should eliminate.  And we've identified a whole range of programs that we want to eliminate and programs that we'd like to consolidate. 

But what is also true is that if we're going to be honest about our debt and our deficits, our real problem is the long term, not the short term.  We're not overspending on education.  We're not overspending on research and development.  We're not overspending on helping the disabled.  Those things have all been flat for a long time or are coming down.  Our challenge has to do with our long-term entitlement programs and mostly have to do with our health care costs. 

So the fact that the Affordable Care Act has been put into place and that many of you are taking steps within your own companies, we're seeing health care costs come down.  We're still going to have to do a little bit more, because the population is aging and demographics means that people are going to be using more health care costs and the government is going to have to grapple with that.  That's a long term challenge.

The budget I put forward actually proposes some smart fixes on Medicare, some smart fixes on Medicaid, and creates a sustainable path where we continue to invest in the things we need to grow -- education, infrastructure, research and development -- deals with our long-term structural deficits that arise out of entitlements, and put us in a strong position for decades to come.

The problem we have right now is that, again, that same faction in Congress is no longer talking about debt and deficits when it comes to resolving the budget.  Initially, this was an argument about how much we spend on discretionary spending, how much do we spend on defense -- you could sit down across the table, try to negotiate some numbers.  That's no longer the argument.  What we now have is a ideological fight that's been mounted in the House of Representatives that says, we're not going to pass a budget and we will threaten a government shutdown unless we repeal the Affordable Care Act.

We have not seen this in the past that a budget is contingent on us eliminating a program that was voted on, passed by both chambers of Congress, ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, is two weeks from being fully implemented, and that helps 30 million people finally get health care coverage.  We've never seen that become the issue around a budget battle.  And so that's right now the primary roadblock to resolving the budget. 

What’s worse, that same faction has said, if we can't succeed in shutting the government down and leveraging that to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, we may be prepared to let the government default on our debt.

Now, this debt ceiling -- I just want to remind people in case you haven’t been keeping up -- raising the debt ceiling, which has been done over a hundred times, does not increase our debt; it does not somehow promote profligacy.  All it does is it says you got to pay the bills that you’ve already racked up, Congress.  It’s a basic function of making sure that the full faith and credit of the United States is preserved.

And I’ve heard people say, well, in the past, there have been negotiations around raising the debt ceiling.  It’s always a tough vote because the average person thinks raising the debt ceiling must mean that we’re running up our debt, so people don't like to vote on it, and, typically, there’s some gamesmanship in terms of making the President’s party shoulder the burden of raising the -- taking the vote.  And then there’s some political campaign later that smacks them around for saying, Joe Smith voted to raise the debt ceiling by $2 trillion.  And it sounds terrible and it’s a fun talking point for politics, but it always gets done.

And if there is a budget package that includes the debt ceiling vote, it’s not the debt ceiling that is driving the negotiations; it’s just it’s stuck into the budget negotiations, because if you’re going to take a bunch of tough votes anyway, you might as well go ahead and stick that in there.

You have never seen in the history of the United States the debt ceiling or the threat of not raising the debt ceiling being used to extort a President or a governing party, and trying to force issues that have nothing to do with the budget and have nothing to do with the debt. 

So here’s where we are -- and I think this is the bottom line, and I want to make sure everybody is clear here.  I have presented a budget that deals with -- continues to deal with our deficit effectively.  I am prepared to work with Democrats and Republicans to deal with our long-term entitlement issues.  And I am prepared to look at priorities that the Republicans think we should be promoting and priorities that they think we should be  -- we shouldn’t be promoting.  So I’m happy to negotiate with them around the budget, just as I’ve done in the past.

What I will not do is to create a habit, a pattern, whereby the full faith and credit of the United States ends up being a bargaining chip to set policy.  It’s irresponsible.  The last time we did this in 2011, we had negative growth at a time when the recovery was just trying to take off.  And it would fundamentally change how American government functions.

And if you doubt that, just flip the script for a second and imagine a situation in which a Democratic Speaker said to a Republican President, I’m not going to increase the debt ceiling unless you increase corporate taxes by 20 percent.  And if you don't do it, we’ll default on the debt and cause a worldwide financial crisis.  Even though that Democratic Speaker didn't have the votes to force through that particular piece of legislation, they would simply say, we will blow the whole thing up unless you do what I want.  That can't be a recipe for government.

And I have responsibilities at this point not just to the current generation but to future generations, and we’re not going to set up a situation where the full faith and credit of the United States is put on the table every year or every year and a half, and we go through some sort of terrifying financial brinksmanship because of some ideological arguments that people are having about some particular issue of the day.  We’re not going to do that.

So the good news is that we can raise the debt ceiling tomorrow just by a simple vote in each chamber, and set that aside, and then we can have a serious argument about the budget. And there are significant differences still between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to the budget.

But it is going to be important for all of you I think over the next several weeks to understand what’s at stake and to make sure that you are using your influence in whatever way you can to get back to what used to be called regular order around here -- doing things in a way that reflect the genuine, messy negotiations of democracy but do not promise apocalypse every three months.  And I think this is the time for us to say once and for all we can't afford these kinds of plays.

I know the American people are tired of it.  I'm tired of it, and I suspect you're tired of it, too, because it’s pretty hard to plan your businesses when these kinds of things are looming at any given moment. 

So, with that, let me stop and let me open it up for questions. 

END
11:05 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 16, 2013

Remarks by the President at the Five-Year Anniversary of the Financial Crisis

South Court

12:31 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Before I begin, let me say a few words about the tragedy that's unfolding not far away from here at the Washington Navy Yard.  That's part of why our event today was delayed.

I’ve been briefed by my team on the situation.  We still don’t know all the facts, but we do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed.  So we are confronting yet another mass shooting -- and today, it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital. 

It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel.  These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad -- but today, they faced unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home. 

So we offer our gratitude to the Navy and local law enforcement, federal authorities, and the doctors who’ve responded with skill and bravery.  I’ve made it clear to my team that I want the investigation to be seamless, so that federal and local authorities are working together.  And as this investigation moves forward, we will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.   

In the meantime, we send our thoughts and prayers to all at the Navy Yard who’ve been touched by this tragedy.  We thank them for their service.  We stand with the families of those who’ve been harmed.  They’re going to need our love and support.  And as we learn more about the courageous Americans who died today -- their lives, their families, their patriotism -- we will honor their service to the nation they helped to make great.  And obviously, we're going to be investigating thoroughly what happened, as we do so many of these shootings, sadly, that have happened, and do everything that we can to try to prevent them.

Now, in recent weeks, much of our attention has been focused on the events in Syria -- the horrible use of chemical weapons on innocent people, including children, the need for a firm response from the international community.  And over the weekend, we took an important step in that direction towards moving Syria’s chemical weapons under international control so that they can be destroyed.  And we're not there yet, but if properly implemented, this agreement could end the threat these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but to the world. 

I want to be clear, though, that even as we’ve dealt with the situation in Syria, we’ve continued to focus on my number-one priority since the day I took office -- making sure we recover from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes and rebuilding our economy so it works for everybody who is willing to work hard; so that everybody who is willing to take responsibility for their lives has a chance to get ahead.

It was five years ago this week that the financial crisis rocked Wall Street and sent an economy already into recession into a tailspin.  And it’s hard sometimes to remember everything that happened during those months, but in a matter of a frightening few days and weeks, some of the largest investment banks in the world failed; stock markets plunged; banks stopped lending to families and small businesses.  Our auto industry -- the heartbeat of American manufacturing -- was flat-lining. 

By the time I took the oath of office, the economy was shrinking by an annual rate of more than 8 percent.  Our businesses were shedding 800,000 jobs each month.  It was a perfect storm that would rob millions of Americans of jobs and homes and savings that they had worked a lifetime to build.  And it also laid bare the long erosion of a middle class that, for more than a decade, has had to work harder and harder just to keep up.

In fact, most Americans who’ve known economic hardship these past several years, they don’t think about the collapse of Lehman Brothers when they think about the recession.  Instead, they recall the day they got the gut punch of a pink slip.  Or the day a bank took away their home.  The day they got sick but didn’t have health insurance.  Or the day they had to sit their daughter or son down and tell him or her that they couldn’t afford to send their child back to college the next semester. 

And so those are the stories that guided everything we've done.  It’s what in those earliest days of the crisis caused us to act so quickly through the Recovery Act to arrest the downward spiral and put a floor under the fall.  We put people to work repairing roads and bridges, to keep teachers in our classrooms, our first responders on the streets.  We helped responsible homeowners modify their mortgages so that more of them could keep their homes.  We helped jumpstart the flow of credit to help more small businesses keep their doors open.  We saved the American auto industry. 

And as we worked to stabilize the economy and get it growing and creating jobs again, we also started pushing back against the trends that have been battering the middle class for decades.  So we took on a broken health care system.  We invested in new American technologies to end our addiction to foreign oil.  We put in place tough new rules on big banks -- rules that we need to finalize before the end of the year, by the way, to make sure that the job is done -- and we put in new protections that cracked down on the worst practices of mortgage lenders and credit card companies.  We also changed a tax code that was too skewed in favor of the wealthiest Americans.  We locked in tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans.  We asked those at the top to pay a little bit more.

So if you add it all up, over the last three and a half years, our businesses have added 7.5 million new jobs.  The unemployment rate has come down.  Our housing market is healing. Our financial system is safer.  We sell more goods made in America to the rest of the world than ever before.  We generate more renewable energy than ever before.  We produce more natural gas than anybody. 

Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years -- and just two weeks from now, millions of Americans who’ve been locked out of buying health insurance just because they had a preexisting condition, just because they had been sick or they couldn't afford it, they're finally going to have a chance to buy quality, affordable health care on the private marketplace.

And what all this means is we've cleared away the rubble from the financial crisis and we've begun to lay a new foundation for economic growth and prosperity. 

And in our personal lives, I think a lot of us understand that people have tightened their belts, shed debt, refocused on the things that really matter.  All of this happened because ultimately of the resilience and the grit of the American people. And we should be proud of that.  And on this five-year anniversary we should take note of how far we've come from where we were five years ago.

But that's not the end of the story.  As any middle-class family will tell you, or anybody who’s striving to get into the middle class, we are not yet where we need to be.  And that’s what we’ve got to focus on -- all the remaining work that needs to be done to strengthen this economy. 

We need to grow faster.  We need more good-paying jobs.  We need more broad-based prosperity.  We need more ladders of opportunity for people who are currently poor but want to get into the middle class.  Because even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, the top 1 percent of Americans took home 20 percent of the nation’s income last year, while the average worker isn’t seeing a raise at all. In fact, that understates the problem.  Most of the gains have gone to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. 

So, in many ways, the trends that have taken hold over the past few decades -- of a winner-take-all economy where a few do better and better and better while everybody else just treads water or loses ground -- those trends have been made worse by the recession. 

That’s what we should be focused on.  That’s what I’m focused on.  That’s what I know the Americans standing beside me as well as all of you out there are focused on.  And as Congress begins another budget debate, that’s what Congress should be focused on.  How do we grow the economy faster; how do we create better jobs; how do we increase wages and incomes; how do we increase opportunity for those who have been locked out of opportunity; how do we create better retirement security -- that’s what we should be focused on, because the stakes for our middle class and everybody who’s fighting to get into the middle class could not be higher. 

In today’s hypercompetitive world, we have to make the investments necessary to attract good jobs that pay good wages and offer high standards of living.  And although ultimately our success will depend on all the innovation and hard work of our private sector, all that grit and resilience of the American people, government is going to have a critical role in making sure we have an education system that prepares our children and our workers for a global economy. 

The budget Congress passes will determine whether we can hire more workers to upgrade our transportation and communications networks, or fund the kinds of research and development that have always kept America on the cutting edge.  So what happens here in Washington makes a difference.  What happens up on Capitol Hill is going to help determine not only the pace of our growth, but also the quality of jobs, the quality of opportunity for this generation and future generations. 

The problem is at the moment, Republicans in Congress don’t seem to be focused on how to grow the economy and build the middle class.  I say “at the moment” because I’m still hoping that a light bulb goes off here.  (Laughter.)

So far, their budget ideas revolve primarily around even deeper cuts to education, even deeper cuts that would gut America's scientific research and development, even deeper cuts to America’s infrastructure investment -- our roads, our bridges, our schools, our energy grid.  These aren’t the policies that would grow the economy faster.  They're not the policies that would help grow the middle class.  In fact, they’d do the opposite.

Up until now, Republicans have argued that these cuts are necessary in the name of fiscal responsibility.  But our deficits are now falling at the fastest rate since the end of World War II.  I want to repeat that.  Our deficits are going down faster than any time since before I was born.  (Applause.)  By the end of this year, we will have cut our deficits by more than half since I took office.

That doesn't mean that we don't still have some long-term fiscal challenges -- primarily because the population is getting older and they're using more health care services.  And so we've still got some changes that we've got to make and there's not a government agency or program out there that still can't be streamlined, become more customer-friendly, more efficient.  So I do believe we should cut out programs that we don’t need.  We need to fix ones that aren't working the way they're supposed to or have outlived their initial mission.  We've got to make government faster and more efficient. 

But that's not what is being proposed by the Republican budgets.  Instead of making necessary changes with a scalpel, so far at least, Republicans have chosen to leave in place the so-called sequester cuts that have cost jobs, harmed growth, are hurting our military readiness.  And top independent economists say this has been a big drag on our recovery this year.  Our economy is not growing as fast as it should and we're not creating as many jobs as we should, because the sequester is in place.  That's not my opinion.  That's the opinion of independent economists. 

The sequester makes it harder to do what’s required to boost wages for American workers, because the economy is still slack.  So if Republicans want the economy to grow faster, create more jobs faster, they should want to get rid of it.  It’s irresponsible to keep it in place.

And if Congress is serious about wanting to grow the economy faster and creating jobs faster, the first order of business must be to pass a sensible budget that replaces the sequester with a balanced plan that is both fiscally sound and funds the investments like education and basic research and infrastructure that we need to grow.  This is not asking too much.

Congress’s most fundamental job is passing a budget.  And Congress needs to get it done without triggering another crisis, without shutting down our government, or worse -- threatening not to pay this country’s bills.  After all the progress that we’ve made over these last four and a half years, the idea of reversing that progress because of an unwillingness to compromise or because of some ideological agenda is the height of irresponsibility.  It’s not what the American people need right now. 

These folks standing behind me, these are people who are small business owners, people who almost lost their home, young people trying to get a college education, and all of them went through some real tough times during the recession.  And in part because of the steps we took, and primarily because of their courage and determination and hard work, they’re in a better place now. 

But the last thing they’re looking for is for us to go back to the same kind of crisis situations that we’ve had in the past. And the single most important thing we can do to prevent that is for Congress to pass a budget, without drama, that puts us on a sound path for growth, jobs, better wages, better incomes.

Now, look, it’s never been easy to get 535 people here in Washington to agree on anything.  And budget battles and debates, those are as old as the Republic.  It’s even harder when you have divided government.  And right now you’ve got Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, Democrats controlling the Senate, Democrat in the White House.  So this is always going to be tough.

Having said that, I cannot remember a time when one faction of one party promises economic chaos if it can’t get 100 percent of what it wants.  That’s never happened before.  But that’s what’s happening right now. 

You have some Republicans in the House of Representatives who are promising to shut down the government at the end of this month if they can’t shut down the Affordable Care Act.  And if that scheme doesn’t work, some have suggested they won’t pay the very bills that Congress has already run up, which would cause America to default on its debt for the first time in our history and would create massive economic turmoil.  Interest rates on ordinary people would shoot up.  Those kinds of actions are the kinds of actions that we don’t need. 

The last time the same crew threatened this course of action back in 2011 even the mere suggestion of default slowed our economic growth.  Everybody here remembers that.  It wasn’t that long ago. 

Now, keep in mind, initially, the whole argument was we’re going to do this because we want to reduce our debt.  That doesn’t seem to be the focus now.  Now the focus is on Obamacare. So let’s put this in perspective.  The Affordable Care Act has been the law for three and a half years now.  It passed both houses of Congress.  The Supreme Court ruled it constitutional.  It was an issue in last year’s election and the candidate who called for repeal lost.  (Applause.)  Republicans in the House have tried to repeal or sabotage it about 40 times.  They’ve failed every time.

Meanwhile, the law has already helped millions of Americans -- young people who were able to stay on their parents’ plan up until the age of 26; seniors who are getting additional discounts on their prescription drugs; ordinary families and small businesses that are getting rebates from insurance companies because now insurance companies have to actually spend money on people's care instead of on administrative costs and CEO bonuses.

A lot of the horror stories that were predicted about how this was going to shoot rates way up and there were going to be death panels and all that stuff -- none of that stuff has happened.  And in two weeks, the Affordable Care Act is going to help millions more people.  And there's no serious evidence that the law -- which has helped to keep down the rise in health care costs to their lowest level in 50 years -- is holding back economic growth. 

So repealing the Affordable Care Act, making sure that 30 million people don’t get health insurance, and people with preexisting conditions continue to be locked out of the health insurance market -- that’s not an agenda for economic growth.  You're not going to meet an economist who says that that’s the number-one priority in terms of boosting growth and jobs in this country -- at least not a serious economist.

And I understand I will never convince some Republicans about the merits of Obamacare.  I understand that.  And I'm more than willing to work with them where they've got specific suggestions that they can show will make our health care system work better.  Remember, initially this was like repeal-and-replace, and the replace thing has kind of gone off to the wayside.  Now it's just repeal. 

But the larger point is, after all that we've been through these past five years, after all the work Americans like those standing behind me have done to come back from the depths of a crisis, are some of these folks really so beholden to one extreme wing of their party that they're willing to tank the entire economy just because they can't get their way on this issue?  Are they really willing to hurt people just to score political points?  I hope not.

But in case there's any confusion, I will not negotiate over whether or not America keeps its word and meets its obligations. I will not negotiate over the full faith and credit of the United States.  This country has worked too hard for too long to dig out of a crisis just to see their elected representatives here in Washington purposely cause another crisis. 

Let's stop the threats.  Let's stop the political posturing. Let's keep our government open.  Let's pay our bills on time.  Let's pass a budget.  Let's work together to do what the American people sent us here to do:  create jobs, grow our economy, expand opportunity.  That’s what we need to do.  (Applause.) 

And as far as the budget goes, it's time for responsible Republicans who share these goals -- and there are a number of folks out there who I think are decent folks, I've got some disagreements with them on some issues, but I think genuinely want to see the economy grow and want what's best for the American people -- it's time for those Republicans to step up and they've got to decide what they want to prioritize. 

Originally, they said they wanted deficit reduction.  As I said before, our deficits are falling fast.  The only way to make further long-term progress on deficit reduction that doesn’t slow growth is with a balanced plan that includes closing tax loopholes that benefit corporations and the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class.  (Applause.)  That’s the only way to do it.

They said that they wanted entitlement reform -- but their leaders haven’t put forward serious ideas that wouldn’t devastate Medicare or Social Security.  And I've put forward ideas for sensible reforms to Medicare and Social Security and haven’t gotten a lot of feedback yet. 

They said that they wanted tax reform.  Remember?  This was just a few months ago -- they said, well, this is going to be one of our top priorities, tax reform.  Six weeks ago, I put forward a plan that serious people in both parties should be able to support -- a deal that lowers the corporate tax rate for businesses and manufacturers, simplifies it for small business owners, as long as we use some of the money that we save to invest in the infrastructure our businesses need, and to create more good jobs and with good wages for the middle-class folks who work at those businesses.  My position is, if folks in this town want a “grand bargain,” how about a grand bargain for middle-class jobs?  So I put forward ideas for tax reform -- haven’t heard back from them yet.

Congress has a couple of weeks to get this done.  If they’re focused on what the American people care about -- faster growth, more jobs, better future for our kids -- then I’m confident it will happen.  And once we’re done with the budget, let’s focus on the other things that we know can make a difference for middle-class families -- lowering the cost of college; finishing the job of immigration reform; taking up the work of tax reform to make the system fairer and promoting more investment in the United States.

If we follow the strategy I’m laying out for our entire economy -- and if Washington will just act with the same urgency and common purpose that we felt five years ago -- our economy will be stronger a year from now, five years from now, a decade from now. 

That's my priority.  All these folks standing behind me, and everybody out there who’s listening -- that's my priority.  I've run my last election.  My only interest at this point is making sure that the economy is moving the way it needs to so that we've got the kind of broad-based growth that has always been the hallmark of this country. 

And as long as I’ve got the privilege of serving as your President, I will spend every moment of every day I have left fighting to restore security and opportunity for the middle class, and to give everyone who works hard a chance to get ahead.  

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END                
12:59 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
September 16, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at the Música Latina Workshop

State Dining Room

10:56 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Good morning, everyone.

AUDIENCE: Good morning. 

MRS. OBAMA:  And buenos dias.

AUDIENCE:  Buenos dias.

MRS. OBAMA:  That’s about all I got.  (Laughter.)  You guys, sit, rest.  It's good to have you here.  How is everybody doing?  Did you get in easily?  Nobody got too wet?  It's exciting.  You're in the White House!  How does it feel?  (Applause.)  

I want to start by introducing the wonderful people on stage with me.  Of course, we have Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who are just legends -- (applause) -- legends and dear, dear friends.  They have been here quite often, and they feel like family.  They're used to this place, and we are so glad to have them back and -- taking the time to do this. 

We have Lila Downs -- Lila.  (Applause.)  Romeo Santos we have, as well.  (Applause.)  Marco Antonio Solis.  (Applause.)  And my wonderful friend, Bob Santelli from the Grammy Museum, who has just been so instrumental in making these workshops happen.  Bob, thank you, as always, for being here.  (Applause.)  

But our very special, most important guests today are all of you.  You guys come from the area -- we've got Woodrow Wilson High School and the Columbia Heights Educational Campus here from D.C.  You guys, whoop it up.  Give yourselves a round of applause.  (Applause.)  We have students from Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring -- (applause) -- see, that’s what you do.  All right, we can go back to Woodrow Wilson and Columbia Heights, because you guys didn’t do that for yourselves.  (Applause.)  And Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.  (Applause.)  Way to go, well done.  (Laughter.)   

And I really want you all to know that today and every day, this is your house.  So I want you guys to relax, to loosen up, to take a deep breath.  Because I want to make sure that you get everything you can get out of this experience, and you can do that if you kind of breathe in and stop thinking about being in the State Room, but actually -- using this as an opportunity to learn and ask questions.  So make yourselves at home.  That’s what this workshop is all about.  And it is one of the most important traditions that our family has started here at the White House. 

Whenever we have musicians or artists or movie stars come here to perform -- which these folks will be doing these evening for a bunch of rich people and fancy people and all of that, right -- the most fun is when we invite young people like all of you here during the day so that you get a chance to talk to these folks and learn from them.  It's a very special part of sharing what we do here at the White House with young people all over the country.

And we've held workshops from everything from classical music, we've done Motown, we've done country music.  We've even done some modern dance workshops, as well as workshops on civil rights.  We're going to be doing some things with film in the coming month. 

So today, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re here to celebrate some of the most fun, dynamic rhythmic melodies you’ll ever hear in your entire life, and that’s Latin music.  Me encanta la musica Latina!  (Applause.)  I'm trying, I'm trying.  Both the girls are taking Spanish, and they think we're pretty pathetic.  (Laughter.)

Now, the percussive beats and the buoyant melodies from these songs come just -- from just about everywhere.  You'll learn they come from the Caribbean and Mexico, and from Central and South America, and also even from Africa and Europe.  And when you put all of that together, you can’t help but move to the music -- even the President, you will see tonight, will shake his groove thing every now and then.  (Laughter.) 

And over the past few decades, more and more people across America have experienced this music for themselves -- stars like Gloria and Ritchie Valens and Ricky Martin have not only helped Latin music move into the mainstream, but they have produced some of the biggest hits this world, this country has ever seen. 

So in a little bit, I’m going to turn it over to Bob, and these wonderful people up here are going to talk to you about their music, but also about how they got where they are today, which is always so cool to hear.  So as you listen to their stories, I want you to think about how the lessons they’ve learned in their lives can apply to your own lives.  Because the truth is, I want you to remember that when all of us were your age, I'm sure that none of us imagined that we would be here in the White House -- none of us.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago.  My parents were working class.  I was a good student.  But no one could have told me that I would be the First Lady of the United States. 

Romeo was just a shy kid from the Bronx who didn’t start singing until he joined his church choir when he was 13 years old.  And then, I hear that was just because he wanted to meet girls.  (Laughter.)  And Gloria still remembers growing up on meals of Spam and cheese.  Emilio first emigrated to the United States -- when he did, he lived in an apartment, a little apartment in Miami with 15 cousins.  And Lila spent time working in her mom’s auto parts store in Mexico before her career got going.  And while Marco Antonio has been performing since he was a young boy, he knows that there’s no secret to his or anyone else’s success.  And one of the things he says -- these are his words -- he says, “Inspiration comes from hard work.  You can’t always wait for the muse.”

And that’s why he and all the folks up here spend so much time honing their craft.  They spend hours and hours every week, probably every day, practicing their songs, rewriting their melodies and fine-tuning their performances.  It doesn't happen overnight.  And those are the kind of things that all of you will have to keep in mind and do as you work on pursuing whatever dreams you have.  The real message here is that it all takes hard work -- it really does. 

I can tell you now that the President spends hours -- above and beyond what you see him do every day, he spends hours reading briefings and being advised.  And when he is not reading briefings and going over issues, he is reading whatever he can get his hands on so that he can stay on top of knowing everything he has to know about what's going on in the world.  He works every day.  And he has always been that -- well, I shouldn't say always.  He was a little trifling as a young student.  (Laughter.)  He will even admit that. 

But he woke up as a young man and decided, I have to get my act together.  And from then on, he has been a pretty serious, hardworking person.  The same is true for me.  Whenever I have to give a speech I spend a lot of time with my team working it over so that it looks good and it looks natural and that I understand what I'm saying.  It all takes hard work. 

Any business leader that you see who is running a company, let me tell you, they spend a lifetime working on presentations and studying market trends.  Athletes, as you know, they bust their tails in the gym before, during, and after the games and off seasons.  Everybody is putting some work in.  If you are a scientist making great discoveries, let me tell you it will take decades of experimenting and researching before you'll even get a glimmer of a breakthrough.  

So, again, if there's one thing I want you to take away from all of this is that if you find something that you're passionate about -- and that's all us grownups wish for our kids, is that you find the thing that gives you passion -- that when you find it, that you know that the next step is working hard.  There is no shortcut to pursuing your dreams -- than hard work.  And you have everything you need right now, right this very second, to achieve what you want to achieve. 

If you commit yourselves, and more importantly, if you commit yourselves to your education, there is nothing more important that you can be doing for yourselves right now than taking your education seriously and practicing that hard work on your books and your studies and your homework -- being engaged, opening your mouth, raising your hand, making mistakes, getting over it when you do.  All of that stuff is preparation for the success that I hope all of you all see in the years to come. 

And if you do all of that and don’t make excuses, don't let excuses stand in the way of your success -- if you do all of that I know that you might just one day either be performing or living right here in the White House.  You have what it takes.

So keep it up.  We are proud of you.  We love you all.  That's one of the reasons why it's so important for us to share these experiences with you, because you may just take away the thing that you need to spark that sense of possibility in yourselves or maybe pass it on to someone else. 

So loosen up.  Breathe.  And take advantage of these folks who are spending this time with you today.  And I hope you have fun, and thanks for coming.  And good luck this year in school.  You all take care.  (Applause.)

END
11:07 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2013

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Pursuing a Diplomatic Solution in Syria

WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address, President Obama followed up on his speech to the nation on Tuesday and said there is the possibility for a diplomatic solution in Syria, partially because of the credible threat of U.S. military force.  Russia has joined the international community in pushing Syria to give up its chemical weapons—which were used to kill more than 1,000 people on August 21 —and the U.S. will take steps to ensure this is not a stalling tactic.  We will also maintain our military posture in the region and remain prepared to act if diplomacy fails.  This allows us to achieve our goal of deterring the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons, degrade their ability to use them, and make it clear to the world that we won’t tolerate their use, in order to preserve a world free from the fear of chemical weapons for our children.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, September 14, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
September 14, 2013

This week, when I addressed the nation on Syria, I said that – in part because of the credible threat of U.S. military force – there is the possibility of a diplomatic solution.  Russia has indicated a new willingness to join with the international community in pushing Syria to give up its chemical weapons, which the Assad regime used in an attack that killed more than 1,000 people on August 21.  I also asked Congress to postpone a vote on the use of military force while we pursue this diplomatic path.  And that’s what we’re doing.   

At my direction, Secretary of State Kerry is in discussions with his Russian counterpart.  But we’re making it clear that this can’t be a stalling tactic.  Any agreement needs to verify that the Assad regime and Russia are keeping their commitments: that means working to turn Syria’s chemical weapons over to international control and ultimately destroying them.  This would allow us to achieve our goal – deterring the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons, degrading their ability to use them, and making it clear to the world that we won’t tolerate their use.

We’ve seen indications of progress.  As recently as a week ago, the Assad regime would not admit that it possessed chemical weapons.  Today, it does.  Syria has signaled a willingness to join with 189 other nations, representing 98 percent of humanity, in abiding by an international agreement that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.  And Russia has staked its own credibility on supporting this outcome.

These are all positive developments.  We’ll keep working with the international community to see that Assad gives up his chemical weapons so that they can be destroyed.  We will continue rallying support from allies around the world who agree on the need for action to deter the use of chemical weapons in Syria.  And if current discussions produce a serious plan, I’m prepared to move forward with it. 

But we are not just going to take Russia and Assad’s word for it.  We need to see concrete actions to demonstrate that Assad is serious about giving up his chemical weapons.  And since this plan emerged only with a credible threat of U.S. military action, we will maintain our military posture in the region to keep the pressure on the Assad regime.  And if diplomacy fails, the United States and the international community must remain prepared to act.

The use of chemical weapons anywhere in the world is an affront to human dignity and a threat to the security of people everywhere.  As I have said for weeks, the international community must respond to this outrage.  A dictator must not be allowed to gas children in their beds with impunity.  And we cannot risk poison gas becoming the new weapon of choice for tyrants and terrorists the world over. 

We have a duty to preserve a world free from the fear of chemical weapons for our children.  But if there is any chance of achieving that goal without resorting to force, then I believe we have a responsibility to pursue that path.  Thank you.   

###

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 13, 2013

Remarks by President Obama and Amir Sabah Al-Sabah of Kuwait After Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

2:25 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It's a great pleasure to welcome our friend, the Amir of Kuwait, to the Oval Office.  Kuwait is one of our most important partners in the region, and we have a very strong bilateral defense agreement, as well as working together on a whole range of economic and social and security issues. 

We had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues.  Obviously, at the top of the list was the situation in Syria.  Our two countries are in agreement that the use of chemical weapons that we saw in Syria was a criminal act, and that it is absolutely important for the international community to respond in not only deterring repeated use of chemical weapons, but hopefully getting those chemical weapons outside of Syria.

I shared with the Amir my hope that the negotiations that are currently taking place between Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov in Geneva bear fruit.  But I repeated what I've said publicly, which is that any agreement needs to be verifiable and enforceable.  And we agreed that, ultimately, what's needed for the underlying conflict is a political settlement that allows ordinary Syrians to get back to their homes, to rebuild, and to relieve the enormous suffering that’s taking place.  And I wanted to express our appreciation to the Kuwaiti people for the enormous humanitarian support that they've provided to Syrian refugees. 

We also had an opportunity to discuss other regional issues -- for example, our continued efforts to facilitate negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and arrive at a peace deal in that part of the world.  We appreciated the Amir's wisdom in engaging with the government of Iraq, and helping to improve and create peaceful relations between Kuwait and Iraq.

And we also discussed ways that we can improve the economic prospects for people in the region in countries like Yemen, for example, that are experiencing great challenges.

So we appreciate the strength and leadership of Kuwait and its friendship.  And we are looking forward to extensive cooperation in the future. 

AMIR AL-SABAH:  (As interpreted.) I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to President Obama for the warm welcome and hospitality.  I am happy to refer to the productive and constructive talk between myself and President Obama, which included topics related to our bilateral relations where we renewed the determination to achieve what is the best for the mutual interest of our both countries.

We also discussed the continued detention of the two Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo, and asked President Obama to speed up the process of releasing them in line with the President's commitment of closing down Guantanamo, and also in line with the assurances given by the Kuwaiti authorities. 

We also expressed our satisfaction with the positive developments related to the Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations.  We also discussed the subject of the security of the Gulf region and our combined efforts to achieve security, stability, and development in this important, active region, especially taking into consideration the current development in the region.

Additionally, we also discussed the harsh and continued suffering of the Syrian people and the continuation of the ongoing humanitarian deterioration in Syria and suffering of the refugees, and the importance of interlacing all efforts in a speedy manner to reach a peaceful solution and keep the region free from the danger of war.

We also discussed the importance of achieving security and stability in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and support all the constructive efforts in this roadmap.  We also discussed the peace process in the Middle East and the importance of focusing all international efforts to advance the planned negotiations to bring positive elements in this regard, and the continued efforts of the United States of America in the peace process.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, everybody.
   
END
2:35 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
September 12, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at the "Drink Up" Festival

Watertown High School
Watertown, Wisconsin

3:16 P.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my God -- you guys look amazing.  (Applause.)  Go Goslings!  (Applause.)  Let me just tell you I feel so good about being here.  You guys have been just amazing.

And I just want to say, first of all, thank you.  Thank you for being such warm, wonderful hosts.  I know it's never easy having the First Lady show up to your school.  And I hear you only heard about this on Monday and you got ready.  The gym looks beautiful.  The signs you guys put together are just amazing.  You guys are truly an awesome school.  This is an awesome town.  Watertown, I'm just grateful that you guys are supporting us in this initiative.  You should be very proud of yourselves.  (Applause.)

Well, I will remind us once again why we're here.  We're here to kick off this amazing campaign called "Drink Up."  And the truth is that everything I do is really about you guys, your generation.  I've got kids about your age; I've got a sophomore in high school.  I know what you're going through.  Good luck with that.  You'll be fine.  (Laughter.) 

But I really care about your health like I care about my kids' health.  That's why I've devoted so much of my energy into making sure that your generation is as healthy as you can be.  We've been talking about how you got to move and keep active and eat right.  But as we were thinking about this, we were thinking, what is the one thing that we can have you guys do that ensures good health?  And it's really pretty simple.  It's drink more water.  Just drink up.  Because truly -- as I've said before -- water is the first and best energy drink.

For all you athletes -- I see a lot of jocks.  This looks like a school that keeps moving all the time.  (Applause.)  You guys know firsthand how better you perform when your body is hydrated.  But the truth is that goes for how you perform in the classroom as well.  And I don't want you to ever lose sight that your first job is to be excellent students.  And if you're going to be excellent like I know you are and you will continue to be, we want you to have that hydration to keep you going.

But water is also good for us old folks.  I don't know about you, but I still try to work out.  I'm going to be 50 in January.  (Applause.)  And to the extent that I'm still hanging in there, it's because I exercise, eat right, and I drink a ton of water.  So I wanted to bring that message to the rest of the country.  The reason why we're able to do that is we've got all these amazing partners, communities like yours all around the country.

We've got researchers and marketing folks and foundations who have come together.  All of the water companies have come together to partner on this effort, because they know that this is probably the best thing we can do to make ourselves healthier, our families, our kids, our students.  We need you guys to be at your very best. 

And you can choose anything in the world to drink, but when you choose water, you truly are choosing the best thing you can for yourself.  When you drink water, you drink --

AUDIENCE:  Up!

MRS. OBAMA:  You drink up.  When you drink water, you drink --

AUDIENCE:  Up!

MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely.  So that's what this campaign is about.  And we're going to need you guys to help us spread the word, especially among your peer group.  Talk to them -- when you've got a choice to make, if you can just drink one more glass of water a day.  It's as simple as that.  And that could change your health outcomes in so many different ways. 

So I am excited to be here.  I know we've got some great games that we're going to be playing.  Eva and I are going to get in there.  We're going to try to stay dry, but it is a water event so we might get a little wet.  But before we do that, I just want us to make a little toast.  I know you guys have been practicing this.  We've got our "Drink Up" water bottles.  Now, on the count of three, we're going to raise our water bottles.  And just remember let's give a toast to the best drink in town.  Thank you, Watertown.

When you drink water, you drink --

AUDIENCE:  Up!

MRS. OBAMA: Up!  Let's have some fun.  (Applause.)  Thank you, guys.  Thanks so much.  Let's play.  I'm going to come down and say hi real quick.  (Applause.)

END
3:21 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
September 12, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at the "Drink Up" Campaign Launch

Watertown High School
Watertown, Wisconsin

2:43 P.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, everyone.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Oh, what a warm welcome.  Thank you.  And thank you, guys.  Rest yourselves.  (Laughter.)  We’ve got a lot of water partying to do here today. 

Let me start by of course thanking Mitch for that very kind

Introduction, as well as the entire staff, the principal, the assistant principals, the team here at Watertown High School for letting us interrupt your school day for a visit that you all have been so warm and welcoming.  It’s just been amazing.  Thank you so much.

I also want to thank the mayor of Watertown, Mayor David, who is a very sweet man.  And my staff got a big kick out of realizing that he thought this was all a joke.  (Laughter.)  But it is just a treat for us to be here.  We couldn’t have picked a better place to make such a huge announcement like this one, because not only is the name of this town on message, but I heard that just a couple years ago, you all won the award for the best tasting water in the state of Wisconsin, which is -- way to go. 

So when it comes to water, you all know a little bit about what you’re doing, and I just want to again thank you for hosting us here today.  It feels really good to be here. 

I also want to thank Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who I got a chance to say hello to, and for joining us today.  And of course, I want to recognize Larry from the Partnership for a Healthier America and all of the leaders sitting up here who have been working tirelessly to help PHA bring this groundbreaking water campaign to life.

That group includes Susan Whiting and Karen Watson from Nielsen.  (Applause.)  Yay!  Yay!  It’s the Nielsen crew.  They’re a rowdy bunch, but they’re good.  They’re good.  (Laughter.)  Scott Miller from Core Strategy Group, and everyone from Y&R and Buck Media who put together this sensational creative material.  You guys are amazing.

And I also want to recognize Sergio Fernandez de Cordova of the PVBLIC Foundation; Sheldon Gilbert from Proclivity Media; and of course, my dear friend, the beautiful, talented, smart, Eva Longoria.  Yeah, hi.  (Applause.)  

Now, I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who might be asking -- water?  Really, water?  What’s the big deal?  It’s not new.  It doesn’t come in different colors or shapes.  In fact, it doesn’t even have a color or a shape.  And to be honest with you, not long ago, I might have been thinking the same thing. 

But since we started the Let’s Move! initiative, I’ve been looking for as many ways as possible to help families and kids lead healthier lives.  And I’ve come to realize that if we were going to take just one step to make ourselves and our families healthier, probably the single best thing we could do is to simply drink more water.  It’s as simple as that.  Drink more water.  

Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health, for your energy, and the way that you feel.  And there’s plenty of scientific evidence to back this up.  For example, when we’re properly hydrated, our bodies perform better than when we’re even just a little bit dehydrated.  Water gives us the focus we need in school and in our work.  It gives athletes the fluids they need to excel on the playing field.  And it can even help reduce headaches and fatigue, all while cleansing and refreshing our bodies.  It’s good stuff.

The truth is we all have a choice about what we drink.  And when we choose water, we’re choosing to be at our very best.  And we don’t even need science to tell us that that’s a good idea.  Most of us already know this from our own experience. 

In fact, back when my girls were younger, and I decided that I wanted to improve the way my family was eating, one of the very first things I did was to make sure we were getting more water into diets.  That was the very first thing I did.  And soon enough, I saw how that one little change made all the difference in our lives -- to our girls, to me and Barack.  We felt healthier, we felt more alert, and the more water we drank, the better we felt.

So we saw firsthand that water is truly the original energy drink.  Plus, water is almost universally available.  You can find it anywhere, and it’s free.  You can find it in schools, in parks, shopping malls, even in your own kitchen sink. 

All over this country, you can turn on the faucet and get clean, safe, healthy water that tastes great.  But here’s the thing -- and something we hadn’t thought about -- because water is so basic, because it is so plentiful, sometimes we just forget about it.  Amidst all the ads that we watch on television and all the messages that we receive every day about what to eat and drink.  The truth is water just gets drowned out.  It’s supposed to be funny.  (Laughter.) 

So we figured that we needed to get water back in the game.  We needed to make sure that water is boosted by the same kind of passion and creativity, and innovative messaging that so many other products enjoy.

And that’s why I am thrilled to be here today for the launch of the Drink Up campaign.  As you have heard, it’s a nationwide effort to inspire Americans to drink more water.  We simply want everyone to know that we are what we drink, and when we drink water, we certainly drink up. 

So I want to thank this incredible coalition of leaders who are on this stage with me.  They are businesses and researchers,  they’re non-profit organizations, and so others who have come together to spread the message and do the right thing for kids and families across this country.  

And we’ve got everybody up here.  We’ve got representatives from tap water.  We’ve got water filter companies.  We’ve got the bottled water companies with us.  It was like a who’s who of water as I was meeting them today.  It felt like I knew them personally -- Dasani and Aquafina.  Everybody was there.  It’s like, I know you, I know you!  I’ve drank you.  (Laughter.)  It’s very empowering. 

But we also have cutting-edge creative agencies with us, and some of the brightest minds in advertising and research. 

We’ve got big-time media and internet companies working with us.  We have talent people from all over, singers, and talk show hosts and movie stars and athletes who are joining this partnership.  And we’ve got leaders from places like Chicago and Houston and Los Angeles County.  And, as you heard from the Mayor, right here in Watertown they are signed up to lead the way in their communities.

So I want to thank everyone here today and all across this country.  And I want you all to know how proud I am of this effort -- because we are poised, just with this campaign, to make a huge impact on the health of kids and families across this country. 

So I want to once again have us all give another round of applause to all of our partners and to everyone on stage.  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  And congratulations.

And to give you a sense of what all this work is amounting to, all together, the PSAs and posters and web ads that these folks have created will be seen an estimated one billion times on billboards and websites and city buses.  The Drink Up logo right here will go on half a billion water bottles, including hundreds of thousands of packages of reusable water bottles. 

And these organizations will be reaching out to a social media network of nearly 140 million followers and fans.  So this isn’t a drop in the bucket.  (Laughter.)  We’re aiming to make a huge splash.  (Laughter.)  That was good.  (Laughter.)  See, a little laughter prompting helps.

And today is just the beginning of this effort.  We are going to keep building this coalition.  We are going to keep building this coalition.  We’re going to keep reaching out to new people and to new organizations and making the case for healthy choices like water, but also fruits and vegetables, which is -- you know me best for my fruits and vegetables, but you’re going to know me for water as well.

For example, next week we’re going to be hosting a discussion at the White House about how we can leverage the power of marketing to promote even more healthy options for kids.  So we’re going to keep on doing whatever we can to build momentum.  But we need all of you to help us as well. 

So I’m going to ask you to do two things.  First, I want you to help us spread the word about this campaign.  Businesses can put Drink Up logos on their menus and on their storefronts.  Mayors, you guys can make your town a water town by putting up posters on bus stops and in public places.  And everyone, as you’ve heard, can join this effort by visiting YouAreWhatYouDrink.org, or by using the hashtag #DrinkH20 dot -- no dots on that -- just #DrinkH20 on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.  So that’s an easy ask, right?  So that’s number one. 

And my other ask is even simpler, and that is to just drink up.  That’s it.  It doesn’t matter where you get it from -- the tap, a water bottle, a water fountain -– just drink one more glass of water a day.  And if we all do this -– if we all drink up -- we’ll all feel better and we’ll have more energy;  we will have more focused students; we will have more productive workplaces; we will have more vibrant neighborhoods and a healthier country.  In the end, that’s what it’s all about.

So to anyone still wondering what the deal is about water, I have two words for you, and that is:  Drink up!  And see for yourself. 

Thank you all, and God bless.  (Applause.)  We’re going to have some fun with some kids.  We’ve got a water festival going on out there.  Congratulations to this wonderful team.  And, everybody, drink up.  (Applause.)  Thanks so much.

END
2:54 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 12, 2013

Remarks by the President Before Meeting with Cabinet Members

Cabinet Room

11:17 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, obviously we’re missing a few members of our Cabinet here today.  In particular, John Kerry is overseas meeting on a topic that we’ve been spending a lot of time on over the last several weeks -- the situation in Syria and how we can make sure that chemical weapons are not used against innocent people.

I am hopeful that the discussions that Secretary Kerry had with Foreign Minister Lavrov as well as some of the other players in this can yield a concrete result.  And I know that he is going to be working very hard over the next several days to see what the possibilities are there.

But even as we have been spending a lot of time on the Syria issue and making sure that international attention is focused on the horrible tragedy that occurred there, it is still important to recognize that we’ve got a lot more stuff to do here in this government. 

The American people are still interested in making sure that our kids are getting the kind of education they deserve; that we’re putting people back to work; that we are dealing properly with a federal budget; that bills are getting paid on time; that the full faith and credit of the United States is preserved; and that the federal government itself is, in every single agency, running the way it should and making sure that our constituents and the American people are getting a good deal.

So we’re going to spend some time here today talking about all the efforts that have been made by many of these Cabinet secretaries to streamline operations, to cut out waste, to improve performance, to improve customer satisfaction.  We’re going to focus on some specific issues, including managing some of the budget debates that are going to be taking place over the next several weeks. 

We’re going to be talking about the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, where we’ve seen some tremendous progress over the last several months and are confident that starting at the beginning of next month, people are going to be able to start signing up for health care -- in many cases, for the first time.  And we’re going to spend some time talking about issues like comprehensive immigration reform that are still of enormous importance to ensure that America grows. 

So I appreciate all the great work that people have done.  Some of the Cabinet members here are still relatively new, but thanks to their confirmations and the great teams they put around them, I know that they’re hitting the ground running. 

Thank you very much, everybody.

END
11:20 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
September 11, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir

USO Warrior and Family Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia

1:49 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You guys look awesome!  What are you doing?  What's going on?  Are you making hands?  Yes, uh-huh, uh-huh.  Guess what I brought you guys -- what do you think is in this basket?  Cookies! 
 
CHILD:  I want that one!  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And you know what these cookies are -- who are on these cookies?  This is our new puppy.  We have a new puppy at the White House, her name is Sunny.  And the White House pastry chefs made cookies for all of you guys with Sunny and some other fun stuff in here.
 
But Gary and I are here because we're so proud of you guys.  Do you realize you guys are heroes?  Do you know that?  We're so proud of what you do because your parents, your moms and dads and grandparents and cousins and uncles and aunts, whoever is in your family who's serving -- you guys help them help our country.  And we just wanted to shine a light on all of the great work that the USO is doing for military families all over this country.
 
This is a beautiful facility.  It's the kind of partnership that represents all that we need to do.  And I know there are mothers back there -- you guys -- be quiet!  (Laughter.)  I see you.  Let them be.  (Laughter.)  I know, you're having a fit over there.  (Laughter.)  They can do whatever they want to.  I'm talking to you guys right now.  The kids, we're going to play with them later.
 
But we just wanted to shine a light on all the great work that the USO is doing for families like these all over the country.  And I've got my friend Gary Sinise here who has done such terrific work for veterans, troops and military families through his foundation, as well as his Lt. Dan Band, which I hear is very good because they play a little bit of everything -- they play songs that us old folks recognize, but also the beats that get kids moving.  And you guys are going to be playing tonight at a really cool rock concert that’s going to be out here at Fort Belvoir today.
 
So you guys are going to have a whole day of fun.  Is that exciting? 
 
CHILDREN:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Well, I want to come and help finish the banners, okay?  Can I come and help?  Can Gary and I come and help you guys?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  So I'm going to put my cookies down and we're going to go help, okay? 
 
END
1:51 P.M. EDT